Sydney's Secret
by girlinpink44
Summary: When something from Sydney's past comes to Santa Barbara, a secret she's been hiding will have to come out. This is a sequel to my fanfic, Sydney.
1. Previously

A sigh came from the other side. "Fine, I wish you would reconsider."

"And I wish my mother was alive but we don't always get what we wish for."

After a moment of awkward silence the person on the other line finally answered. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Me too. This is something I have to do. Something I've dreamed of doing. Plus, it's my turn to be normal. Figure out who I am."

"You're too special to be normal but if I can't convince you to change your mind, good luck."

* * *

"Who's her mother?"

"Becca."

Henry's eyes grew wide. "Shawn, please tell me you didn't do it in the back of a stolen car."

"If it will make you feel better…" Shawn knew he had a sheepish grin on his face.

* * *

"Must have been her mother. And you know, there's something else."

"What?"

"She's hiding something, like we were talking and we'd get on a subject and she'd start talking and boy is she smart. But then she'd act like she shouldn't know that much."

"You mean like a genius hiding behind childlike behavior and 80s references."

Shawn had to admit, she had a point. "Yeah, exactly like that."

* * *

"I'm getting some seriously bad vibes, haven't had one like this since right before…"

"Before?"

He heard her sigh. "Before I found my mom."

"How did she die?"

"I really don't want to talk about it."

* * *

"Are you sure?" She made her way behind the desk and took a seat.

"I'm sure. Lassie had Woody run a paternity test. We should have the results next week. But she's…"

"She's like you?"

"You're asking me if…"

"I'm asking you if she's psychic." She leaned forward and looked him right in the eyes.

"Can't say for sure, but it looks that way." He sighed leaned back in the chair. "Can I be honest?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"She's so much like me, it scares me. Yet at the same time, I can't help but be proud."

Chief Vick smiled as she leaned back. "So I'm going to have a junior psychic running around my station?"

"If she wants to." Shawn couldn't help but smile.

"She's too young to have already lost her mother." The chief murmured.

"She really is."

* * *

How was she being so calm during this? Most people would be freaking out by now. Lassiter had to hold in a laugh, maybe she was more like her father than he'd realized.

* * *

"Is she hiding something?"

"You tell me psychic." A knowing smile came on her face.

* * *

Lassiter sighed and turned to face her. "Ok."

"What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave us and Shawn. If I make it through this, I'll be the one to tell him. Otherwise, you are to act like you don't know."

Now she had his interest. "Ok."

"If someone acts like they know this, you don't say a word unless they give you the passcode."

"And that is?" He was really interested now.

"Sagittarius" She fidgeted, not in pain but almost nervously.

"Ok, what do I need to tell Spencer?"

She let out a sigh. "We have to go back to 2002 to answer that…"

* * *

Maximum Security Prison: Alexandria VA- Present Day

"Doesn't get unnerving?"

The veteran guard laughed softly as he turned to his rookie partner. "What?"

"This, night after night. Staring at the monitors, staring at a bunch of psychopaths. I mean these are the worst of the worst, they came from the…"

"I know where they came from." He quickly cut off his partner. For a second, silence ruled as they stared at the monitors. Each one had a face, each face the senior guard knew haunted someone's nightmares.

"How do you deal with this night after night?"

"Because I know that there are people out there who sleep better at night knowing we keep them in here. I know that there are people out that gave way more than they should have to, to put them behind bars."

The rookie started to respond, but stopped when lights started to flash. The veteran grabbed the red phone beside him. "We've got a Code Gamma, I repeat Code Gamma." He turned back to the screens and saw the faces, that is until he came to a blank one.

* * *

I hope that you never have to read this note. If you are, I know what that and first and foremost I want you to stop blaming yourself. Whatever happened to me is not your fault so stop telling yourself that. Secondly, always remember that I love you and have always been proud of you.


	2. Missing Something

***dodges the pineapples thrown in my direction* ok, ok I get it :) glad you guys are enjoying it. The secret will come, but you have to let Sydney tell you when she's ready. Thanks for the reviews! :) ****  
**

* * *

"Miss me?" Shawn looked up as Sydney stood in the doorway a huge smile on her face.

"Hey! When did you get back?" He got up from his desk and ran over to get a hug. Who knew he could miss a kid so much? Granted she'd only been gone a couple weeks, but still. If you had told him six months ago…

"About an hour ago. Gramps decided that even though we ate in LA, I needed to eat again when we got home." She tossed her keys on his desk and sat backwards on a chair.

"It's been quiet around here without you. He won't admit it, but Lassie's even missed you."

She laughed. "That should be the last trip for awhile, unless I want to. The house is sold, mom's stuff is in order, and I'm here."

"You ok?" Shawn sat back down at his desk.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I got you something!" She ruffled through her bag. Pulling out a t-shirt she handed it to him. "The one t-shirt in Washington DC that has a pineapple on it."

He held up it and didn't hold in the laugh. "I love it!"

"Sydney! When did you get back?" Gus came in carrying his sample case.

"Just got back Gus. Have you been keeping him in line?"

"That is an impossible task." Gus sat down at his desk and opened up his laptop.

"This is true." Shawn watched as she dug in her bag. "And this is for you." She tossed what looked like a magazine onto Gus' desk. Gus picked up it and his eyes went wide.

"How did you get this?"

"Get what?" Shawn learned forward, curious now.

"A copy of a medical journal. I just put Gus ahead of the game by a month."

Gus was already leaning back in his chair reading away. "More than a month. We weren't going to get this info for at least two."

"I know a guy." Sydney shrugged a satisfied smile on her face.

"How's the case coming Shawn?" Gus barely looked up from what he was reading.

"I'm missing something."

"You guys got a case?" Sydney came over to stand behind him.

"Wait, didn't you just get back from vacation?"

"I believe the key word is got back. So what's the case?" He turned to see her puppy dog eyes staring at him and he knew resistance was futile.

"A homicide from yesterday. Something feels off about this."

"What do you mean off?" Sydney took the file and sat down.

"This isn't the first person or murderer has killed." Shawn kept looking at it and it was too professional, too well done to be his first time. That being said, where were the other victims?

Sydney was quiet and Shawn looked up to see her going pale. "Syd?"

"Has Woody finished his autopsy yet?" Several emotions were crossing her face and Shawn couldn't fit them together.

Shawn wondered what had her so upset. "He said we could go in about an hour."

"Can we go a little early?" She held up her bag and Shawn saw her shove her feelings away. "I've got presents for Jules and Lassie."

"If we can tear Gus away, we can get smoothies first."

"What are you waiting for?" Gus was already halfway out the door, journal in hand.

* * *

An hour later, they were gathered in Woody's office, the body still covered on the table. Sydney was fidgeting and Shawn was worried about her. He could tell he wasn't the only one, Lassie kept glancing in her direction.

"What's up with Sydney?" Jules leaned in.

"Not sure, she's been acting weird since she looked at the case file?"

"How was her trip?"

"Good, the house finally sold and she got to visit friends."

Jules smiled. "Glad she had a good time. Don't forget we have a meeting with the caterer this afternoon."

"I wouldn't forget that. You know I love sitting through a meeting while they tell me how many ways chicken can be prepared. What's wrong with jerk chicken?"

She rolled her eyes. "We've got two months, we need to nail details down."

He took her hands in his, feeling his grandmother's ring on her finger. "We'll figure it out and it will be perfect."

A throat cleared and Shawn turned to see Lassie glaring in their direction. "If you two start a public display of affection during this autopsy…"

"Relax Lassie." Shawn laughed as Woody entered the room. "What's up Woody?"

"My stock in Dole. Apparently, pineapple sales are on the rise."

"I told you." Shawn tapped his finger to his forehead. Juliet let out a chuckle and elbowed him.

"Woody, do you have a spare pair of gloves?"

Woody gave her a look before handing her a pair. She slipped the one and began examining one of the cuts.

"Sydney do you see something?" Lassie asked, glancing at Shawn. Shawn could do nothing but shrug; he had no idea what she was doing. Sydney seemed to ignore them and kept checking different wounds.

"Cause of death Woody?" Jules asked, deciding to follow his lead and ignore Sydney's odd behavior for now.

"It's a combination, actually. The cause of death is from…"

"Not only the wounds but faint traces of poison." Sydney murmured coming over beside Shawn. She rolled the body and Shawn saw a note on the right shoulder.

SC How's Mom?

"What does that mean?" Shawn stared at it. He turned to see Sydney back away from the table shaking. At first he thought it was fear but then after a second realized it might be from anger. What was going on?

"Sydney?"

She took a couple deep breaths. "Lassie, Dad, come with me."

Neither moved and she turned to Lassie. "Sagittarius, now let's get moving."

She charged out the door and a minute later, Shawn heard her yelling in another language. It sounded like French but he wasn't sure. Whoever she was yelling at, well he was glad it wasn't him.

It was Lassie's turn to turn pale. "Spencer, let's get going."

Just as Shawn walked out of the room he heard Woody. "She's right?"

He turned back. "About the cause of death?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Shawn nodded before taking off after Sydney and Lassie.


	3. Properly Introduce Myself

The ride to his Dad's house was tense and silent. Shawn kept turning back and Sydney spent the entire ride staring out the window, having ended her mystery call. Not soon enough for his taste, they pulled up to his dad's.

"Sydney, what's going on?" Shawn bolted out of the car.

"Wait, he doesn't know?" Lassie stopped cold his hand still on the door.

"Doesn't know what?"

"You said you were going to tell him." He finally shut the door and joined them on the porch.

"No I said you couldn't tell him, that if he was going to find out it would be from me."

Shawn stepped in between them. "How about someone fill me in?"

"You're a psychic, shouldn't you already know?" Lassie raised his eyebrows.

"Psychics have a natural block against other psychics." Sydney opened the door.

"Syd, a package arrived for you." Shawn heard his dad inside.

"Thanks Gramps." Shawn stepped inside and saw Sydney opening the package and pull out a couple folders. "At least someone has their head in the game."

"What are those?"

"Files, you were right Dad. This isn't Peter's first murder. It's his 13th." Sydney headed upstairs, taking the folders with her.

"Go after her Shawn." Lassie took a seat on the couch.

Shawn headed upstairs and found her door shut. He knocked on her door. "Dad?"

"Yeah, it's me kid."

"Give me a sec."

"Ok." Shawn heard movement on the other side of the door. He also heard some Velcro.

After a second, the door opened and Sydney was wearing a pair of cargo pants and a cami. "Come in."

He came in and she shut the door. "Do you know how many people are at a president's inauguration?"

Her question came out of nowhere. "Can't say I do."

"If it's a president's first inauguration the number can be as high as 2 million. Secondly one's usually are about half that size. The number can change depending on the popularity of president."

She went over to her dresser and opened her jewelry box. Shawn was surprised to see not jewelry but a keypad. Quickly, she entered a code and Shawn heard a click in her closet.

"Sydney, what's going on?"

Pulling something out of her closet, Sydney turned to face him. He saw that she held a bulletproof vest. "First off, put this on and do not take it off until I say so."

"Why?"

"Cause I said so."

"Sydney, what's going on?" He felt like a broken record.

"Do you know how much time, effort, and security goes into an inauguration? That it's not just the Secret Service like people think."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It was the summer of 2002, I was six and had been taking judo for years already. Mom had put me in one of those preschool classes and I caught on and moved up. Plus with my unique skill set that I inherited, well I caught someone's attention."

She tossed him the vest and pulled a box out of the closet, sitting it on her bed.

"Whose attention?" Shawn started to unbutton his shirt, sitting the vest at his feet.

Sydney started to answer. But instead stuck her head out of her door. "Lassie!"

"What's up?"

"Call the chief, tell her to have everyone ready for a briefing in an hour. Tell her info will be sent and packets better be ready."

"Do I tell her about…?"

"No." Sydney shut her door again. "Where was I?"

"You got someone's attention."

"Oh right. Let's see…"

* * *

June 2002

Becca Collins sat in the crowd, watching the graduation ceremony. Sitting in the second row was Sydney who was already getting her green belt. The youngest at that level, she looked so proud. Every so often she would glance towards Becca who would flash her a smile.

"Up next, Sydney Collins will be preforming a Kata with James Steely." Sensei Steve (he refused to let the kids call him by his last name) announced before stepping to the side.

Full of pride, Becca watched as Sydney and her friend displayed the technique. Maybe she was a little biased, but Sydney seemed to shine a little more.

The rest of the program dragged on, as various levels displayed their techniques before they were allowed to officially accept their new belts. Finally, Sydney came running up to her, wearing her new green belt. "Did you see that Mommy?"

"I did! I told you, you'd be great. You didn't believe me." Becca picked her up.

Sydney handed her the old orange belt. "Can we put this on the rack?"

"As soon as we get home. How about we go get Rita's as a treat?"

"Really? Can we get pineapple and Swedish Fish?" Sydney's face lit up and Becca couldn't help but notice she had her dad's smile.

"I think we can arrange that."

"Excuse me, Mrs. Collins?" A man in a black suit came up to her. "And you must be Sydney! You did a great job today."

"Thanks!" Sydney saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Mom! Can I go say hi to Lindsey?"

"Ok." Becca sat her down and turned back to the man. "It's Miss Collins but you can call me Becca…" Becca left it hanging hoping to get a name.

"Langston Graham, she's special isn't she?"

Becca knew he was referring to Sydney. "She always has been, she takes after her father."

"Does she know him?"

"No, he doesn't even know she exists." Why was Becca telling him all this? He just seemed so easy to talk to.

"Would you two mind coming in and talking to me?" He handed her a business card. She glanced at it quickly and saw the address was in DC.

"When?"

"After Rita's?" He smiled as he walked away.

"Ok." Becca put the card in her wallet. "Sydney!"

She came running and Becca handed her the bag with her clothes. "Go get changed and let's go!"

"Ok mom!" Sydney took the bag from her hand and took off towards the bathroom. Becca couldn't help but notice that Mr. Graham was nowhere in sight.

* * *

"That afternoon, we talk to Graham and a week later I entered a special department." Sydney was strapping on a vest before putting a shirt over it. If Shawn didn't know any better, he wouldn't guess that she had a vest on.

"A special department of what."

Sydney reached into the box and pulled out what looked like a wallet. She flipped it open and held it out for him to see. "I guess I should properly introduce myself, Special Agent Sydney Collins of the CIA at your service."

* * *

**So I gave it away before I gave it away. :) Which time did you catch? **


	4. Victim 12

**Oh, did I forget to mention that that's not all? Two part secret so you get two chapters today. :)**

* * *

Sydney, was… His Sydney… The one he'd met six months ago was a …

Shawn wasn't sure how to process this. He looked towards Chief Vick's office and saw that blinds were still closed. People were gathering for the briefing and the projector was being set up. Next to it was Sydney's laptop.

"What's going on in there?" Gus came and stood beside him.

"The start of one of the most interesting cases we'll face." Shawn watched as Chief Vick came out, she eyed him for a second before walking up to the projector.

"We have a break in our homicide case. While we are still confirming the identity, we have the identity of the murderer. That being said, this case is taking an interesting turn. We will be working alongside the CIA agent that worked the case. I'll be turning this briefing over to her now."

Shawn watched as Sydney walked out of the office dressed in a Washington black suit. You could have heard a pen drop in the room it was so quiet. "Thanks Chief."

She walked to the front of the room. Beside him, he heard Gus shift, yes it was that quiet. "What is Sydney doing?"

"Listen and find out." Shawn focused on his daughter.

"I've been working for the CIA since I was six. Your first question, why do they take kids that young? Easy, throughout the crowd on Inauguration Day the CIA, FBI, NSA and Secret Service join up to make sure the event is as secure as possible. The CIA sponsors a special unit of unique agents that can blend into the crowd in ways the usual agents can."

"Wait Spy Kids? Like the movies?" Jules asked.

"The movies didn't realize how close they hit the mark." Sydney shrugged. "I was part of the security detail for Bartlett 2 and stayed on with the CIA. The next decade or so passed and then I was 17 when we got reports of a serial killer running up and down the east coast."

She clicked the projector and a face appeared. "This is Jackson Peters, age 27, race Caucasian, former occupation IT assistant at the University of Maine."

"Over the course of six months, he took 12 lives and gained the name The Last Words Killer. He'd leave his victims alive, but just barely. They had just enough time to greet whoever was about to walk through the door before dying."

Shawn watched as Sydney clicked through the victims and Shawn quickly saw how she had made the connection. They were all murdered with stab wounds and the autopsies showed traces of poison in their system.

"The poison is on the knife he uses to stab his victims with." Sydney clicked the slide and Shawn noticed they went from victim 11 to their John Doe from yesterday.

"You skipped victim 12." Buzz called out.

"Thanks for pointing that out Buzz." Sydney let out a sigh. "For the junior division of the CIA, there are a lot of safeguards in case we ever decide to leave. If we come to that decision we invoke what is known as the Claire clause. It was named after one of the first agents in the division."

"The clause basically says that we can leave and receive no repercussions, no attempts at re-recruitment if one of the situations in the clause occurs."

"You invoked the clause?" Gus asked.

Sydney nodded.

"Why?"

"Let this be a warning to you, the Last Words Killer is ruthless and will strike you where it hurts. If you are not careful, if you let your guard down for even a second, you'll come home to this."

She clicked the slide again and the station fell silent. "Victim number 12 was Rebecca Collins. Her daughter walked in to find her breathing her last breaths. Her daughter, who had been tracking this man for months, let him walk into her house and murder her mother."

For a second, she glanced at the screen and then looked away and Shawn saw determination in her eyes. "Don't let your guard down otherwise he will haunt your nightmares in ways I hope none of you ever have to experience."

"I can attest that they aren't pleasant." Lassie spoke up from where he stood by his desk.

Sydney nodded. "So can Gramps. But if there is anyone we need to get into protective custody, the CIA is more than willing. This man is worse than anything you've faced."

"Sydney a question." Lassie spoke up.

She turned and nodded.

"Why is he loose? You told me you caught him."

"I did. I caught him only to find out it was too late. But late Monday night he escaped from prison."

"What's he doing here?" Jules asked, coming to stand beside Shawn.

"He's finishing what he started. Mom was the first victim what wasn't random. He has a second in mind. Our John Doe was killed to send me a message."

Shawn felt something grow in the pit of his stomach and felt Jules shift and grab his hand. Slowly people around the police station turned to look at him and the bulletproof vest felt tighter. "It's me, he wants to finish the job…"

"He's going to go after you." Sydney nodded. "On that note, this is how this is going to go down. Dad, you will not go anywhere alone. At all times you will have myself, Gus, Jules, Lassie, or someone with you."

Shawn started to protest, he could take care of himself, but she cut him off. "I mean it, or I will stick you somewhere you won't find Santa Barbara again until this is over. I've lost one parent to this sicko and I just found you. I'm not losing both."

He took a step back as he looked at Jules and Gus; both were eyeing him with concern. "Ok."

"Secondly, I will not be walking out of here dressed like this." Sydney indicated the suit. "It was more to get your attention. To the public, this case has to look like we are working on that homicide. It has to look like Detective Lassiter is running point but I will be. This secret can not leave this station and if it does I know it came from one of you and you'll be wishing this was being handled by Chief Vick."

Everyone shifted. "I'll take that as you understand."

She walked back into Chief Vick's office and Lassiter took her place. "Alright here's how we're going to do this. Files have been prepared with information on our suspect. Study them, memorize them, for safety reasons we have to assume Sydney has been outed and no one is to go out alone."

"Smart idea." Sydney came out wearing her cargo pants and a t-shirt. Shawn had a gut feeling there was more in the pockets than he wanted to know about. "We need to nail this guy soon. If he can't get to Dad, he's going to do another warning kill within the next 48 hours."

"You guys have your assignments, now let's catch this bastard and put him back where he belongs." The station was quickly filled with a buzz as files were passed out.

Shawn started to look at one when Sydney came up with Lassie. "Gramps just called and is have a welcome back dinner tonight!"

"Wait, we're going to have a party when…?"

"We are going to let Peters think I don't know yet." Sydney had a sly smile. "Besides, Gramps is cooking steaks."

Shawn wrapped his arm around her. "Well then, I guess we shouldn't miss this party."

Last October

"Sydney, you need to get in here." Sydney heard a voice in the monitor as she cuffed Peters.

"On my way." She handed him off to the waiting agents. "Make sure he never sees the light of day again."

"Yes mam." They started to put him in the truck.

"Tell your mother hello for me." Peters sneered.

Sydney suddenly got a bad vibe and ran towards her house, suddenly realizing whose voice that had been in her monitor. Hitting the back door, she walked into the kitchen to see several agents crowded around a figure on the floor. They parted ways when they saw her.

"Mom!" Sydney came to the floor and sat her head on her lap. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, I should have had the door locked. I should have been more careful."

"I shouldn't have let him get this close."

Her mom took a deep breath and Sydney knew all too well what was about to happen. "Listen to me, you are not allowed to blame yourself for this."

"But Mom…"

"Listen to me this one last time would you kid?"

Sydney felt tears in her eyes. How could she have let this happen? "Ok."

"I love you so much, don't blame yourself."

"I love you too."

"There's a letter… it will… explain…" With that her mom closed her eyes and a second later stopped breathing.

"Mom?" Silence met her.

"Mom!" Sydney just sat there and held her mother for a second, not wanting to fully accept what had just happened.

"What are you all gawking…" Sydney looked up and through her tears could see the Commander. "Sydney, oh my…"

"Claire."

"What?"

Sydney wiped away the tears as she brushed the hair out of her mother's still form not caring that she was getting blood all over herself. "I'm done."

Finally, she allowed herself to be led away from her mother's body and to a waiting van. Of course she'd have to be debriefed, start the process. For now she turned to the window and let the tears flow. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see her mentor, Sarah.

"What are you doing here?" Last Sydney had heard she was living in California.

"I was in town, I heard what happened, I got here as soon as I could."

Falling into her arms, Sydney sobbed all the way back to headquarters.


	5. My Crime Scene

**Sorry about this being a short chapter, if it makes you feel any better it's longer than it was. The next one looks like its going to be nice and long. Thanks for reading guys! Shout out to AmazingLadar, Checkerz, and fantomfaire for sticking with me! **

* * *

Shawn sat on the porch at his dad's beer in hand. Lassie came and took a seat beside him. "How long have you known about this?"

Lassie let out a sigh. "Since we were in the woods together. Sydney knew chances didn't look good and needed to tell someone. If she had died…"

"The CIA would have wanted to honor an agent and I would have had no clue."

He nodded. "Exactly, I figured she told you later, but I guess she wanted to be…"

"Normal, well as normal as you can be being the daughter of the Head Psychic for the SBPD."

"Exactly, well minus the whole you're psychic thing."

"Lassifrass, I thought we were past you doubting me!" Shawn put a look of mock shock on his face.

"You can think what you want." Lassie was trying to hold in a laugh as he took another sip of beer.

"You two better not be having a fight, this is a party!" Sydney came over with Jules. "And don't blame Lassie for not saying anything Dad, I swore him to secrecy."

Shawn smiled as Jules sat on one side of the bench and Sydney on the other. Both of the ladies in his life, once again he couldn't help but be thankful that they'd hit it off so well. "I don't."

All of a sudden, Shawn felt movement beside him and saw Sydney take off inside the house. Shawn took off after her and found her in the living room.

"Hey Sarah!" … "Yes, even though I saw you this morning I missed you guys already." … "Oh yeah, got here a few hours ago." … "Listen is Chuck around?" … "I just had something I wanted to run by him and wanted his…" Sydney turned and eyed Shawn. "his insight." … "You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." … "Thanks."

She took a seat on the couch. "Hey Chuck!" … she sighed. "Yes I got here safely, I wanted your input on something." … "Yes, that kind of input if you can." … "Do you have anything on Jackson Peters, also known as the Last Words killer."

Shawn saw a smile come on her face during a long pause. "You've got something?" … "Yes, I worked lead on it, I'm hoping there's something there they aren't telling me." … "Ok." … "Ok." … "Wait what?" … "Oh really?" … "Thanks for the info!" … "Talk to you later." … "See ya, thanks again." Sydney hung up the phone.

"Who was that?"

Sydney smiled. "A friend."

"Care to share your info?"

"Nah, I'll have a revelation later." She walked past him with a smirk on her face heading for the porch.

Shawn stood there for a moment laughing before following her back out. Sydney was already back on the bench and had launched into a story. "Ok, here's what I know about our killer…"

* * *

One Year Ago

Sydney adjusted her I 3 NY hat, why were normal disguises always the awkward ones. A little laugh slipped out as she ducked under the crime scene tape, maneuvering her way through the crowd.

"My crime scene better not have been touched or I will knock heads." She yelled out.

"Excuse me?" A man turned and gave her a look like she'd grown an extra head. Judging from the way he was standing, he was the head detective on this case. Not that she'd ever had a lot of patience for head detectives.

"You're excused." She flashed her badge. "Now if you don't mind, I have a crime scene to access."

"I um…"

"Save it for afterwards, now tell me who the victim is." Sydney slipped on a pair of gloves and started examining the body. Stab wounds all over, faint smell of a poison she still couldn't place, this was her guy.

"I want this scene processed in half an hour." She looked around and saw the officers gawking at her. "Did I just speak French? Move it! We've got a serial killer on the loose and I don't have time to sit here and twiddle my thumbs."

"You heard the lady, get on it." The detective spoke up.

That got everyone movie and Sydney sighed. Someday people would learn to listen. "What info do you have on the victim?"

She was handed a file and she opened it, quickly scanning the details. "Kieth Zimmerman, age 37, Hispanic, married 2 kids…"

At that she had to hold in a wince, she hated finding victims that had families, especially when they were messy like this. "Owned a bakery, wonder if they sell cannoli's? Hmm found by his wife when she came for his lunch break."

Sydney looked around and realized there was no wife. "Where's the wife?"

"At her mother's."

"Do you have an address?"

The detective fumbled around, still flustered about her being there, and finally gave her an address. After a promise to be back and a shout that her crime scene better be processed when she got back, Sydney headed to her rental.

Arriving at the address she knew she was in the right place, parking was impossible and people milled on the front lawn of the home. Quickly, she ditched the hat and added a jacket.

Inside, the place was packed but eventually she found the wife and talked to her for a few minutes, not wanting to push it. Same as the others didn't see anything suspicious, no figures, nothing. Four murders and no one saw anything?

With a sigh she headed back to the crime scene and found the head detective standing outside barking orders. "Got something for me?"

He turned and waved an evidence bag. "A scrap of fabric found in the back fence."

"Finally I get a competent police department." Sydney examined the fabric. "I'll send the results after I run tests."

"But…"

Sydney was already walking away. "I so outrank you dude as much as my age pisses you off."

Punching in the coordinates she wanted, Sydney sped off from the crime scene. Time to get this analyzed; it was a start at least.

* * *

**The past and the present have a fun way of interacting with each other don't they? Trust me there's a fun bit coming next chapter that I didn't see coming but love. Thanks for reading :) **

**I don't own Chuck or it's characters ect. I didn't make this a crossover cause I don't know if they'll make any more appearances but hey I might be surprised down the road. **


	6. Cup of Tea

**Going to answer a few reviews here.**

**fantomfaire: honestly, the cannoli's reference came from my need to have one. Can't find good ones here. But the ones from Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken? Little piece of happiness in a pastry. And she's going to pop up in several places on the East Coast, NY just happened to be the spot of that crime scene. The next one is going to be funny.**

**amazingladar: really, never? Glad I was the first :) And I think so too, it's a lot of fun the get to play with this character and find these different sides of her. **

* * *

The next day, Shawn woke up and threw his pillow over his head. For future reference, sleeping in a bulletproof vest was not fun. But Sydney had threated to exile him if he didn't.

He heard something downstairs and assumed it was Jules getting ready. That is until he realized how bright it was outside. He sat straight up and crept downstairs.

"Took you long enough." He turned to see Sydney in the kitchen fiddling with his blender.

"How'd you get in?"

"Which option would you like to go with? I picked the lock the way you taught me, the way the CIA taught me, the key I had made right before your birthday, or Gus." She nodded to where Gus sat on the couch watching highlights from last night's American Duos.

"Get dressed, they found a body and Lassie wants up down there ASAP." Gus didn't even look away from the TV.

A few minutes later, Shawn came back downstairs and got handed a smoothie. He took a sip and could taste something else in there besides pineapple. "What's in this?"

"Protein boost and a couple other things. I used to live off of these." She handed one to Gus before heading for the door. "Come on!"

Once outside the house, Sydney launched into a discussion about her trip, talking about this and that like yesterday hadn't happened.

A ten-minute drive later, Shawn could see the crime scene. He walked up and Buzz stepped in front hesitating when he saw Sydney. She smiled. "Hey Buzz!"

"Hey Sydney, I didn't get to ask you how was DC?"

"Great, but I missed you guys." She looked just past him. "Uncle Lassie!"

Shawn laughed at the singsong tone and at the shade of red she managed to get on Lassie's face. With an eye roll, he waved them in. Buzz stepped to the side and Shawn ducked under the tape.

"Jules!"

"You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."

"I feel like I didn't." He lowered his voice. "Bulletproof vests do not make good pjs."

"She's just worried about your safety." Jules looked at where the topic of their conversation was bent over the body with Lassie.

Shawn came over and knelt down beside her. "Is this our guy?"

"Yes." Sydney's answer was soft. "Tell Woody I want his report ASAP. Do we have any eye witnesses?"

"His girlfriend was buying hotdogs from the cart over there and came back to find him in well…"

"Yeah I know. Where is she?"

Lassie nodded and Shawn turned to see a distressed girl standing off to the side. Sydney went over to her and they started talking. The girl fell into Sydney's arms and started sobbing.

Shawn watched as Sydney consoled her. He was so focused on the scene he didn't notice Gus come up beside him. "Not many people can console her like Sydney can."

"Sydney's always had a way with victim's families. But you're right, this one is different."

"Are you still in shock about the whole, you know…"

"Big time, it's almost like getting to know her all over again. Thing is, deep down I knew she was hiding something."

Gus stood beside him not saying anything in the way Shawn had grown to appreciate.

"When did parenting become so hard?"

"What do you know about parenting?" Gus turned to him.

"More than I did six months ago."

"Which was nothing."

"Immaterial and irrelevant." Shawn felt his cocky smile come back to his face. Sydney came back over to them.

"Nothing, except a whole lot of heartache ahead." Sydney sighed. "This isn't his game! He never rebounds this quick! Then again he never left the eastern seaboard before."

She ducked under the crime scene tape and Shawn saw her go sit on a swing on the nearby playground. "She's fun to try to read sometimes."

"I thought you couldn't read her." Lassie came up beside him.

"I can't, and it's frustrating." Shawn turned to Gus and Lassie. "For once, I honestly don't know what's going through her head."

* * *

Late Last July

Seven murders, seven murders and so far Sydney had nothing. She left the file out on the table and went into the den and started flipping channels, careful to keep the volume down since her mom was asleep upstairs.

What was with late night TV? Didn't they consider that CIA agents would like to unwind at; she checked the clock, almost two in the morning? All that was on was infomercials, the sad excuse for cartoons that seemed to air now, and reruns of shows.

A news story caught her eye and she stopped channel surfing.

"I'm here outside of the Santa Barbara Police Department where the Golden Saints drug king, Andres Moreno is currently being booked. This great day for law enforcement would not have happened without the help of consultant and psychic detective Shawn Spencer and his partner…" The reporter checked her card. "Cupid Shuffle."

"A psychic detective? Just when you think you've seen everything." Sydney laughed.

Two men appeared on the screen and Sydney watched as the "psychic" detective launched into a story that involved a lassie (whatever that was), jewels, and the man who stood next to him occasionally sending a glare his way.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Sydney turned to see her mom standing in the doorway. She was watching the TV and Sydney saw something cross her face, but couldn't quite place what it was.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Would tea help?"

"It might." Sydney watched the end of the news story and then wandered into the kitchen to see her mom working on the tea. Something about the news story stuck with her, but she shoved it aside as she tucked papers back into her file.

She sat it on the counter as her mom sat a glass of tea in front of her. For the next little bit, they talked about little things, her mom steering the conversation away from the case. Finally, Sydney began to feel tired.

"Magic tea, works every time."

Sydney took her cup to the sink. "Every time. Night Mom." After a quick peck on the cheek, Sydney headed upstairs and snuggled under her covers. As she dozed off, her thoughts returned to a certain news story.

* * *

Lassiter came back into the station and sat down at his desk with a sigh. It's a funny thing, you sit there for years and dream about something happening, like Spencer finally being at a lost. Then it finally happens, but it didn't feel as satisfying at he had imagined.

A thought occurred and he picked up his phone, quickly dialing the familiar number. When the person at the other end picked up, he smiled. "Marlowe." … "No everything's fine, I guess I wanted to hear your voice." …

He smiled as she started to tell him about her day. She'd left last week to visit friends on the East Coast and he missed her like crazy. "Is there any way you could spend a few extra days out there?" … "Nothing big, just… I can't talk about it." … "Yes, I'd really prefer you not come back quite yet." ... "Ok." … "Yes I'll remember to water the plants." … "Love you too." … "Night Marlowe."

Grabbing the file, he continued looking through it, occasionally glancing at the evidence board he'd spent the better part of last night putting together. Usually he delegated stuff like that to McNab but this case was special.

After a while, he realized he was getting nowhere. Grabbing his gun, he headed down to the shoot range to process his swimming thoughts the old fashioned way.

To his surprise, he wasn't the only one down there that time of night. At the far end was Sydney, shooting off rounds faster than he'd ever seen. Grabbing protective gear, he went over to her. "You know, they say if you blink in between rounds it helps"

"If you blink, you miss something. You miss something and people get hurt. People get hurt, you never forgive yourself." She shot a couple more rounds.

Carefully, Lassiter grabbed her arm and pulled it down. She glared at him and tried to fight it. "This is not the way to deal with this."

"Says the guy that was coming down here to do the same thing." She nodded to the gun sitting on the counter beside him.

"No I meant the whole blaming yourself part not the beating the records I spent years setting part."

Sydney sat her gun down with a sigh. "It's my fault, and you can't say its not."

"It's your fault he killed all those victims?"

"At least number 12. I got too close, but I couldn't get the last piece. I…" She turned away and then slammed her fists against the nearby wall. "I knew better. You never let work come that close to home. If it does you don't let your guard down. I did and she's… she's gone. We were all each other had…."

Lassiter watched her slide down the wall until she was curled up in a ball on the ground. He sat down beside her and she leaned into him and he felt sobs shake her body.

"Carlton, you weren't at your desk so I came down…" Ohara came into view. "Oh Sydney."

Ohara came and sat down on the other side of Sydney. "Sweetie…"

"It's… I can't… not again… I was free… they were gone…"

"Take a breath Syd, talk to us." Lassiter looked up at Ohara and could see the concern in her eyes.

"The nightmares…"

It was then that Lassiter realized that he hadn't gotten a call from Henry in awhile about nightmares. That is until this morning. "The nightmares were gone."

She nodded, calming down some.

"We'll catch him sweetie." Ohara pushed the hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry."

"For what Sydney?" Lassiter turned to where Sydney stood up.

"For everything, I should have… I should have…" She started to pace.

"Should have what?" Lassiter looked up to see Spencer in the doorway, Guster right behind him.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance! Why didn't I? Not like I haven't done it before."

Lassiter wasn't sure if the silence that filled the room could be cut with a knife. Everyone sat in shocked silence as Sydney continued to pace the range.

"Why didn't you?" Every head in the room looked at Guster.

"I don't know!" She went back and picked up her gun and let off a shot

" I was there, he was down, I was…" Another shot.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for letting you down Mom!" Another.

"I'm sorry for dragging you guys into my past mess." A fourth.

"I'm sorry I didn't shoot the bastard where he stood like I know I should have." And back into a ball she went, sobs wracking her body, gun clattering to the ground.

Spencer stood frozen in the doorway, more lost than Lassiter had ever seen him. "Sydney?"

"What?" The glare she sent his way sent him a step back.

It was Ohara's turn. Lassiter watched as she slowly got up and went over to Sydney putting her arms around her. "What's one thing that would make you feel better right now?"

A muffled answer came.

"Try that again Syd." Spencer came over to her other side.

"A cup of tea would be a good place to start." She managed to get out between sobs and before Lassiter could cross the room, Guster was already out the door.

* * *

**thanks for reading guys! **


	7. Princess for a Day

**Sorry about not updating for a couple days, had to play with this a little more and now I'm somewhat happy with it. Then I got distracted by the epic premier last night! :) **

* * *

Sleep, once upon a time Lassiter actually got some. Once upon a time, he didn't have three murders in three days and knew eventually someone he called a friend was the target. Not that he'd admit he considered Spencer a friend.

"Mcnab!"

"He's not in yet sir." He heard a voice that he vaguely recognized and assumed it was one of the officers on duty.

Lassiter let out a sigh. "Get me a coffee."

"Right away Detective."

He went back to the pictures from the crime scene they had found way to early this morning. This one he wanted to keep from Sydney as long as possible especially after her breakdown last night. But this was like the last two, no connection, no witnesses, odd thing was there was no one around to hear last words, but nothing they could use.

"Here you are Detective Lassiter." Lassiter looked up to take the coffee and did a double take.

"Sydney?"

"Took you long enough." She peeled off the blonde wig she'd been wearing and sat down beside his desk.

He glanced at her and realized she was dressed just like an officer. "How long have you been here?"

"Since the call went out about the body."

"You were there?"

"The whole time, you yelled at me for mishandling an evidence bag." She air quoted mishandling.

"You were!" Lassiter recalled the evidence and realized he never saw the officer's face. Well, he mentally could scratch off chewing out that officer off his to-do list.

"I was getting a look at the body, I could have cared less about the bag. By the way, he slipped up." She walked over to the board, leaving the wig sitting on his desk.

"What?" He pushed it to the side and came over to stand beside her.

"He created a pattern." She grabbed a couple of thumbtacks. "After my breakdown last night, I had a pow wow in lake me. Then I got a vibe at the crime scene and sure enough."

She grabbed a box of pushpins and started putting them into the map in various places. "We stake out this location tonight and we catch Peters."

"Lassie, do I want to know? Actually, I'm may be scared to ask for once." He turned to see Shawn standing by his desk holding the wig with one hand.

"Be gentle with that, its my favorite." Sydney turned from where she was rearranging his evidence board.

"Be careful with that, for once I actually put it together."

"My case, it goes in my order." She gave him a cocky grin that reminded him of her father.

Speaking of, said father walked into the station, Guster close behind. "Sydney? Is it Halloween and we didn't get the memo?"

"Nah, I just find one can get a lot of info if you know how to dress." She pulled her hair out of it's ponytail and shook it out.

"Miss Collins, I don't remember receiving the memo that your joined the force." Chief Vick walked out of her office, eyebrow raised. Lassiter could see her holding in a smile.

"I don't remember receiving a memo about a body being found this morning so I guess Lassie and I are even." She smiled before disappearing down the hallway.

"Detective?"

"Well after yesterday…" He couldn't really defend his actions, he had just wanted to protect her. But from what? She'd seen worse.

"Go easy on him Chief." Sydney came back into view wearing civvies. "He was worried about me."

"What's this?" She nodded to the board.

"Our game plan, he's going to hit on the south side, isn't that old amusement park down there?"

Lassiter looked at the map. "Spencer isn't that the one that Scare Fest used to be held in."

"Man, we haven't been down there since we closed the Johnny Rickets case." Spencer came up and studied the board. "Sydney, you came up with this?"

"Yeah."

"Any idea who the victim is?" Guster chimed in, joining them at the board.

"Wait, I have to divine everything? When do you guys start chipping in."

Lassiter was hit with a sense of déjà vu.

"What I have to find that guy? I'm confused. When do you start chipping in."

"Lassie?" Sydney snapped him out of it. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, a little déjà vu." He shook the scene away.

"Let's get going!" Like aways, Spencer was already half way out the door. Guster let out a sigh before following him. "Gus, pick up the pace don't be the tortoise!"

"The tortoise won in the end!"

"Spencer we need…" Lassiter took off after them.

"Dad!" Sydney passed him. "How about a plan?"

Spencer sulked in a minute later followed closely by Sydney. They appeared to be in an argument and from the look on Spencer's face Sydney was winning.

"Where were we?" Lassiter held in the laugh that wanted to surface as Sydney sat Spencer down. Ohara came over and took over guard duty.

"We have the where, we have the how, we just need two pieces."

"The who and the when." Guster stated to obvious. But for once no one pointed it out as everyone, Lassiter included, sorted through their own thoughts.

For a little while at least, Lassiter would get to enjoy his peace and quiet.

* * *

10 months ago

Eventually, Sydney would actually come to a theme park for fun. She'd get to ride the rides, eat junk food til she was sick, and spend the day acting like she didn't have a care in the world.

Sadly, today was not that day.

Sadly today was also setting record highs and for Orlando, that wasn't' a fun thing. Being in Orlando in record heat and having to act like a princess when all you wanted to do was not, yeah not Sydney's idea of fun.

Sydney couldn't help but laugh at the thought of how many little girls dreamed of doing what she was doing right now. Didn't every little girl want to be Cinderella, Belle, or Sleeping Beauty (sleeping for 100 years sounded like a lot of fun to Sydney right now)? Personally, Sydney had always preferred Mulan, and the sad thing is no one really counted her. And for the record, Belle's dress itched like crazy. At least her hair was up and out of the way, and it looked pretty sweet if she did say so herself.

Posing for yet another picture, Sydney finally found what she was looking for. A deserted part of the park, yellow tape hidden off to the side, crime scene, it was about time.

She made her way over and ducked under the tape. Inside the saloon park and local police were already at work processing the crime scene. "Who's in charge?"

"Woah there Belle, aren't you lost a little." One of the officer's snickered.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." She glared at him and sure enough he quickly went back to what he was doing. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Who do you think you are?" A man towards the back of the room glared in her direction. "And what do you think your doing at my crime scene.

Sydney walked over there, seeing the body and knowing this was her guy, again slipping under her radar and making the body total to eight. She probably had the only Belle gown with pockets and pulled her badge out.

"I think I'm the one in charge of this investigation. So you have all of two seconds to change your tune or I will be forced to have you removed from my crime scene."

Cue blabbering.

Cue odd looks from the rest of the officers.

Cue a monumental waste of her time.

"Isn't this place loaded with security cameras? Surely something got something I can use?" Sydney traded her satin gloves for her crime scene pair and bent down over the body, careful not to let the dress bump her.

Crumpled in the victims hand was a note, hmm that was new. She pulled it out and opened it.

_Thought you had caught up to me this time Agent. Too bad you couldn't save her. I guess that means its Me: 8 You:0 Better luck next time._

It was one of those notes made from magazine cut outs. "I need an evidence bag." The pockets in this gown were only but so big.

Luckily the officers in the room had gotten their acts together and someone handed her a bag. She dropped the note in before putting the bag back into her pocket.

"Miss…" She whirled around as she felt a hand on her shoulder. One of the officers from the park was the owner of the hand.

"May I help you?"

"We think we found something on the camera."

"Why are we still here then?" And for once Sydney let a rare smile show at a crime scene.

"Right this way." She followed him out, pausing to take pictures with kids as they made their way through Magic Kingdom.

"Remind me before I leave, I have a date with a few rides."

"Will do." The officer led her to a door and she stepped into the underground tunnel system. After a stop by the locker room, Sydney found herself in the security room.

"Who has something for me?"

"Right here." One of the men waved her over. She stood behind his chair. "We'd shut down this part of the park for some maintenance."

"Water damage after last week's flooding?" Sydney remembered seeing it on the news the other night.

He look surprised that she knew that. "Yeah, but anyways we found this."

A push of the button and Sydney was staring at an empty screen. After about a minute, a shadow appeared on the screen followed by a person. The person looked lost and Sydney recognized her as the victim. Must have gotten turned around.

Another shadow appeared and the girl turned and Sydney watched her eyes grow wide. A man charged on the screen and Sydney watched and for the first time caught a glimpse into the Last Words Killer's methods. The rest of the room turned away but Sydney kept watching, not wanting to miss a detail.

Finally, he looked straight into the camera and Sydney paused the video. "Oh grow up people, he's done."

Hesitantly they looked at the screen but most looked away again when they saw the state of the body. LWK (Sydney was shortening it now, eight murders was a lot for a killer with such a long name) was breaking pattern.

"About five minutes later, one of the maintenance men found her right before she died."

Or maybe not.

"How do I get a copy of this footage?"

The man in front of the screen turned around long enough to push a few buttons. A minute later, Sydney was tucking a disk into her bag. Finally, she had a lead.

"You can take that off the screen now, I have what I need." Sydney turned to walk out the door. "One last question."

"What can we help you with?"

"Which door would I take if I wanted to come out by Space Mountain?"

A laugh sounded from the room as a girl got up. "Follow me."

She led her down a series of hallways; Sydney pulled out her phone and was surprised to have a signal. "I have a visual."

"On the suspect?" The commander sounded surprised.

"Well footage of the suspect. He slipped up and took care of this last victim on camera."

"Get it here ASAP."

"Will do."

"You're riding Space Mountain first aren't you?"

"I am in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. What do you think?"

Her commander didn't even bother to hold in a laugh.

* * *

** Every so often, she has to do something that reminds me that she is Shawn's daughter. That's it for now, a little action next time. Thanks for reading! **


	8. Code Names

**More fun with radios :) **

* * *

Shawn shifted his position from where he was hiding just inside the entrance to the Haunted House. "This is Pineapple and the Jackal, all clear here."

He fist bumped Gus who kept glancing nervously behind his shoulder.

"Relax man, it's not like the house is open. Nothing is going to jump out and go boo." Shawn peeked out the window into the empty fairway.

"Why did we get stuck here?"

"Chances are, Sydney feels like this is the safest place to stash me." Shawn adjusted the vest under his shirt for the, he wasn't sure how many times he'd done it today.

"Pineapple and Jackal this is Mini-me, next time I get to choose code names. Hold your position, all clear from my location." Shawn laughed at the comment. What was wrong with mini-me? He liked it.

"I agree with that statement."

Shawn grabbed his radio. "Come again and please state your name."

He heard a sigh over the radio. "Mr. Bean here, all clear."

Shawn luckily remembered to release the talk button before he bursted into laughter along with Gus. "That's not getting old anytime soon."

"You know that's right." Gus raided the bag that was sitting on the floor pulling out a container. "Stakeout snack?"

"Bringing your A-game tonight!" Shawn grabbed a piece of pineapple out of the container.

"Pineapple, don't tease him." Jules voice came over the radio. "Sugar here, I agree. We are discussing code-names for next time."

"Everyone's a critic." Shawn sighed.

"I like mine." Gus shrugged, grabbing a sandwich out of the bag.

"Thanks buddy."

"All clear here." Jules finished her statement.

"Pineapple, Jackal, are you two eating?" Sydney's voice came over the radio.

"What else do you do on a stakeout?" Shawn took the sandwich Gus handed him. "Dude, you put pineapple on this? You just made a culinary masterpiece out of this."

"A little something I came up with."

"Maybe pay attention to your surroundings?" Lassie's voice came over, in that why do I have to work with these people tone. "And while on the topic of discussing things, let's discuss who gets the bigger gun next time."

"You are not touching my sniper rifle. First this is mine; it was a present to myself. Secondly, I proved last night that I'm a better shot. Third this is my case and did I mention it's my rifle?"

Shawn had to laugh at Sydney's no nonsense tone to Lassie. Few people could get away with it, he'd tired. All that came over the radio was some grumbling.

"That's what I thought."

Shawn shifted positions and continued to look out the window. Nothing was happening, and he could hear the Angry Birds app calling from his phone.

"Dude, I'm so bored." He turned to Gus.

"Me too, and we're missing American Duos."

"I cannot believe you still watch that!"

"It's a good show Shawn, it shows people going after the American dream."

"No it shows people making fools of themselves for their 15 seconds of fame." Shawn reached his hand back to the basket grabbing a bottle of pineapple juice. "You did Tivo it right?"

"Oh, so you want to see it?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Jackal, did you Tivo American Duos?" Sydney's voice came over the radio.

Gus grabbed the radio. "Mini-me this is Jackal. Of course I did."

"Are you two really having this conversation?"

"What? It's hilarious to watch people make fools of themselves; they'll do anything for…"

"Mini-me what is it?" Shawn didn't like the way she'd paused.

"Mr. Bean, movement at three o'clock."

Shawn stuck his head out the door and strained to see something. But Sydney had stuck him in an out of the way spot, away from where she'd assumed that the action would be. And she was right, not sure if the guess was due to her training, experience, or something else.

"Suspect is on the move, in pursuit now."

"Be careful Mr. Bean."

"Hello?" Shawn turned to see a college-aged boy wandering past the Haunted House. "This isn't funny guys!"

Judging by the logo on his sweatshirt, Shawn guessed this kid was a freshman who was in here for some good old-fashioned hazing. It just so happened this was the worst possible night for it.

"Hey kid." Shawn handed the radio to Gus and stepped outside.

The kid jerked and turned to face him wide eyed. "Who are you?"

"Shawn Spencer, head psychic for the SBPD. Let's just say you are about five minutes from becoming a serial killer's next target."

Wide eyes met him. "Is this a joke?"

"I lost him." Shawn heard Lassie over the radio.

"Everyone keep a look out. We need to find the victim."

"Pineapple has him, they are outside."

"Get him back inside!" Shawn heard Sydney shout and had a feeling it wasn't from the radio.

"You like pineapple?" Shawn nodded to the door.

"I guess."

"What's your name kid?"

"Brandon."

"Gus! Hook our friend up with some delicious flavor." Shawn smiled and he turned to head back inside.

All of a sudden, he felt something strike the back of his head and everything went black.

* * *

Lassiter couldn't believe he'd lost him. He'd been right there but had taken him through a hall of mirrors, geeze those things gave him the heebie geebies. It was like being inside a snow globe.

"Code Red! I repeat Code Red." Guster's voice came over the radio.

"Jackal what's going on?"

"Pineapple is gone."

Those three words were enough to stop Lassiter cold. He looked around at all the buildings, all the rides. If Peters had gotten to Shawn, well he could be waiting anywhere.

A couple of shots ran out and Lassiter ducked. "I can't get a good shot! He's using Pineapple as a shield!" Sydney's frustration could be heard over the radio.

"I've got a visual." Ohara's voice came over the radio. "Pineapple is unconscious and LWK is carrying him out the southwest entrance. Mini-me is right, he's using him as a shield. I can't get a shot."

"On my way." Lassiter took off for the southwest entrance. He arrived to find Ohara standing there, shock on her face. Sydney was coming back into the park, her face the definition of anger. He couldn't help but eye the rifle slung across her back.

Behind him, he heard the sound of running and Guster arrived with a kid in tow. "Who the heck are you?"

The kid looked terrified. "Brandon Jones, I was just… it was a dare…"

"Shawn saved the kids life."

Lassiter looked off down the road. "I hope it didn't cost him his own. Ohara, what can you tell us."

"We're looking for a black van. License plate JK2-KF83."

"We can run it at the station." Sydney started to head to where they'd left their cars. "Oh crap."

"What?" Lassiter watched the anger fade away slightly and dread take its place.

"Who's going to tell Gramps?" Sydney asked causing Lassiter's stomach to sink.

The group looked around at each other nervously. Finally it was Brandon that spoke up. "Am I in trouble?"

"Not this time, but let's keep it that way." Ohara answered before Lassiter could come up with a comment.

He nodded before taking off, heading towards the parking lot. Lassiter turned and started walking that way. "Let's get going, we don't have much time."

* * *

Shawn groaned, the back of his head killing him. He did a quick check; he could feel his fingers, feel his toes. Finally he opened his eyes.

He had to be in a basement of some kind. It was pitch black but it had a spacious feel to it. What had happened? Where was he? Who, or rather what, had hit him?

Too bad this wasn't the point where he had the answers. He'd always preferred that part. Something about holding the cards, the I know something you don't know thrill. It drove Lassie nuts and almost always managed to put a smile on Jules face.

But he needed to focus. Focusing led to that part. And got him out of whatever mess he'd found himself in. Hmmm, it had been awhile since he'd been kidnapped. Maybe he was overdue for another round…

That thought cause him to laugh and he head a door open and light came from the other side. After the sound of some footsteps coming down the stairs, light filled the room and Shawn found himself face to face with Jackson Peters.

"You know, you're not as intimidating in person."

"Mr. Spencer, it's about time we met. I figured I had a little bit left in my intro. See last time it took her a lot longer to catch on. Shame, I hadn't properly prepared for your arrival. I guess we'll have to improvise."

"She'll find me." Shawn couldn't swallow back the cliché line. "And you won't get away with this. Man, haven't you heard that revenge isn't the answer? How about you learn from the Home Alone gang. It didn't go well for them the first time and it didn't go well the second."

"You're a lot more talkative than her mother." Shawn watched him advance but noticed he didn't have a knife with him.

"How did you find her anyways? Her mom kept me a secret." Shawn asked the question that had been bugging him for days.

"Actually, that was the easiest part. A quick Google search and I found her. The tricky part was getting across the country while there was a bounty on my head."

Peters closed the space between them. "But I managed, and so our game began again."

"What is it with you psychopaths and thinking this is a game?"

"People are so odd, so unpredictable. To guess their habits, to find the perfect time, it's a game. Then at first I was insulted, they sent a child to investigate me."

"She's not a normal kid." Shawn didn't fight the proud smile that crossed his face.

"I quickly discovered that, Mr. Spencer."

"Shawn, Mr. Spencer is my father."

Peters nodded. "Alright Shawn then. You know, this is fun. Maybe I should have chatted with my victims more. At first I thought about stepping up my game, throwing a temper tantrum of sorts that they would dare send a child to catch me. But she surprised me, the way she would take over a crime scene. Turn hardened detectives into babbling fools."

Shawn remembered how she'd yelled at Lassie earlier about guns. "She can do that."

"So I decided I would forgive the CIA for sending a child, after all she made the game more fun. That is until she decided she was done playing."

"But you weren't."

Peters turned around and headed back to the stairs, soon leaving Shawn in the darkness. "No, I'm just getting started."

* * *

**And with that, I leave you for now :) **


	9. Clear Your Mind

**Sorry about the delay guys! Syd, Shawn, Lassie, and I are figuring out where we want this to go. In all honesty, I don't know where this is going. I mean, I know a couple things that still need to happen and I have the epilogue planned out (sad isn't it?) but otherwise I don't know.**

**If you have suggestions/ideas put them in your reviews! You guys are great with reviewing this and I'd love your input. **

* * *

8 years earlier

Sydney finished pulling her hair up and bounded out of the locker room and down the hallway. She didn't want to keep Sensei Souta waiting.

"Where's the fire Sydney?" Sydney skidded to a stop as Sarah passed her in the hallway.

"I'm running late, my tutor kept me over to finish a chemistry project." Sydney made a face. Chemistry wasn't hard, it was just bothersome, boring, and did she mention boring?

"Don't keep him waiting." Sarah started to walk away.

"We still have that briefing in a couple hours right?" Finally they were letting her go on big missions. It only took her what, almost four years?

"Yeah, see you there."

Sydney took off down the hallway and skidding into the dojo. She bowed as the elderly man raised an eyebrow. "I apologize for my tardiness Sensei. I have a note from my tutor."

"She kept you over again? What for this time?"

"Chemistry." Sydney smiled as she took a seat in front of him.

To her surprise, he sat down as well. "Often we work on the body, today we will be focusing on the mind. As everyone wants to point out, you have an amazing mind."

Sydney fidgeted. People kept saying that, and she didn't know how she felt. It seemed like they expected a lot from her, and she didn't know if she could meet her expectations. "So I've heard."

"Meditation, for centuries has been used to allow one to clear one's mind. Not only does it relieve stress, but also it has been proven to improve memory."

"Memory is not a problem Sensei."

He laughed. "Ah, but with a memory like yours it could have some unique benefits."

"What do you mean?"

"As you get older, you'll get more and more, time will pass and you may need a piece of information you saw months, maybe even years prior."

"So I just pull up the file." Sydney didn't see what his point was.

"What if its not in the file?"

"Why wouldn't it be in the file?"

"You aren't getting the point." He gave her the look.

"What is the point?"

He got up, came behind her, and shifted her postion. She allowed him to. "Now close your eyes."

She sighed.

"Good, now breathe."

She heard him take a seat across from her. The room was silent and after a minute, she took a peek.

"No peeking."

She quickly closed her eyes again and focused on her breathing, mentally re-watching the episode of Totally Spies she'd been watching earlier. Luckily she remembered to hold in her laugh, she was sure Sensei wouldn't approve, but it had been so ridiculous. Nothing at all like the real deal.

"What are you thinking about young one?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing, you're trying not to laugh."

Sydney sighed; eventually she'd learn to not hide anything from him. "It was just a cartoon from earlier."

He laughed. "My point exactly, you mind likes to go a million different directions. Now clear your mind."

Sydney sighed and tried to clear her mind. Easier said than done. There was a lot going on. Someone was pacing outside the hallway, probably stuck on their latest case. And the room was supposed to be soundproof. Ha.

"You're not clearing your mind."

"I'm trying." Sydney sighed and focused. Focusing on nothing was harder than it seemed.

* * *

"And you just let him waltz off with my son!" Lassiter didn't even flinch as Henry continued on his rant. Surprisingly it was rather short, though Lassiter was still trying to figure out how he got stuck with listening to rant duty. He should have ran the plates and let Ohara deal with it. After all, he was about to become her father in law.

"Henry, we couldn't get a shot!"

"He's killed 16 people including the mother of my only grandchild. And I'm not about to let him kill my son."

Lassiter sighed. "Don't you think we are trying everything we can to find him?"

He watched as some of the anger left Henry's face. "Where's Sydney?"

Lassiter nodded to over to his desk. Since they'd arrived back at the station a half hour ago, she'd been sitting on the floor with her eyes closed, completely silent. He didn't think someone that shared Spencer's DNA would be able to sit still for that long.

"How long has she been like that?"

"Since we got here, this is one of those times where I question if she's Spencer's kid."

"True, I don't know if Shawn's ever sat still for that long." Henry hid a smile. "But she's ok?"

Lassiter shrugged. "She's coping in her own way. She rode the Norton here and hasn't talked to anyone since."

"Well her father was kidnapped by the bastard that killed her mother. She has a right to be a little quiet."

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Chief Vick walked out of her office.

"My son has been kidnapped, what do you think I'm doing here?"

"Don't stress out Gramps, it's not good for you." Lassiter turned to see Sydney in the same position and for a second he thought he imagined it.

"This isn't stressed out kid." Henry shook his head.

She stood up in a rush. "I got it!"

She rushed over to his computer and started typing a mile a minute. Ohara beat him over there. "What is it Syd?"

"It was suspected, at least for the first few victims that he had an accomplice. It took a little meditation, the spirits don't like a stressed out Psychic, but I've got it."

"They don't?" Lassiter rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think Dad avoids stress like the plague?" Sydney looked up at him before returning to the computer.

For a second, he thought about it. Spencer did avoid stress like the plague. Wait a second, was he really considering that he may be psychic? He shook his head, nope that is one thing he'd never admit to.

"Here we go." Sydney clicked on a file. "Diana Blankenship, went to school with Peters back in Maine and then went to college at the University of California Santa Barbara. Ended up staying here after graduating with a degree in medical science."

"Wait, long black hair and irresistible chocolate brown eyes?" Lassiter turned to Guster.

"I guess, if that's your type."

"Do you know her Guster?"

"She works on the floor below me." Guster saw the photo. "That's her."

"How come that's not in the file?"

"They were high school lovers and she was visiting him around the time the first victims were found. But all the evidence we had was circumstantial and we couldn't pin her on anything. Actually I'd forgotten about her."

"So what, she's been hiding Peters in her house this whole time?"

Sydney shook her head. "That doesn't sound right… Remember Dad's first case? Malcom Orso wasn't even on your lists. We're looking for something like that."

"Can you be a little more specific?"

"I wish. Who's up for a game of six degrees of separation?" Sydney plopped down in the seat beside Lassiter's desk.

"Hey Sydney?" Henry pulled a chair beside her.

"What's up Gramps?"

"What's this I'm hearing about you riding that death trap my son calls transportation?"

* * *

Shawn tried to ignore the pounding in his head. He must have bit hit harder than he thought. Plus he was officially tired of the pitch-black nothingness that was this basement.

"Hey Peters! Has anyone told you that you are a horrible host?" He yelled out, not expecting a response. Oddly enough, it made him feel a little better.

"I think he's a great host." Shawn saw a crack of light before the room lit up, temporarily blinding him. After a couple of seconds, Shawn saw a familiar face?

"Diana?" Wait, the chick Gus liked to flirt with when he actually made an appearance at his other office?

"Come on Psychic, you didn't see this coming?"

Shawn went through the memories he had of her, not too many since Gus worked on a different floor. "Wait, you went on vacation about a year ago."

"People go on vacation."

"But you went home, to a lover? And now you're hiding that lover?" That would explain the strange basement and the fact that Gus hadn't even managed a date with her.

"Maybe you are psychic." She raised her eyebrow.

Shawn shrugged. "I am but a messenger that the spirits like to tell stories to. Like bedtimes stories, though most of the time they don't have happy endings like Jack and the Beanstalk, or the Three Bears. Though that one didn't have a happy ended exactly. Guss it depends on which perspective you look at. I guess it ended happy for the bears, not so much for Goldilocks."

"Wow, you really don't shut up."

"I get that a lot." He looked around.

"Get some rest Psychic, you're going to need it." And within a minute, Shawn was plunged back into darkness. This was the weirdest hostage situation he'd heard of. Not that he was complaining, he'd just be sleeping with one eye open tonight.

* * *

**Literally, that's all I've got for now. :) As to where that whole three bears thing came from, ask Shawn not me. :) Until next time, and I'm going to apologize in advance cause it may be a couple days. Thanks for reading guys! **


	10. Old Fashioned Way

**Sorry about the whole section thing last chapter! I usually catch them and separate them (shoot FF even gives me a fun tool to do just that) but I forgot last chapter. Thanks for pointing it out so I can be more careful from here on out. **

**Usually I can tell when we are close to the end and with this one, I'm not sure. Hopefully in a chapter or two I'll know better. Until then, here you go! Oh slight warning, there's a little bit of Shawn whumpage here. **

* * *

Gus sat at his desk, trying to focus on his paperwork. For once he was actually in his other office. For a while now he'd just been taking it over to the Psych office, getting his calls transferred there.

Don't tell Shawn, but he was glad it hadn't been just that day.

He looked out the window, missing the view of the ocean that the Psych office had. He looked across the way and stared at the wall, instead of at his best friend.

Why was he here? Why wasn't he working the case? Why wasn't he out there finding Shawn?

"Mr. Guster?" One of the secretaries stuck her head in. "Sydney's here."

He sighed, finally something. "Thanks Sandy."

"Thanks Sandy, but you couldn't have let me surprise him!" Sydney walked in.

Gus watched as the door shut and counted to five. "Please tell me you have something."

She sat down in one of the chairs. "This office is boring, I see why you've taken to hanging out in the Psych office."

"Yeah, plus its easier than having to run out of here with something about Mrs. Pickles."

"That is a stupid name for a cat."

"You don't have to tell me that." Gus didn't hold in the smirk.

She opened a laptop. "Our friend came to work today."

"Wait, you've left me in a building with a possible murder slash more than likely kidnapper all morning?" Gus glared at her.

Sydney shook her head. "Please, I've been around here all morning. I delivered coffee to your boss, Mr. Sunshine he ain't, sorted mail in the mail room, delivered some to our little friend, and then chatted with Sandy and the other secretaries. They love me out there."

"You took coffee to my boss?" Gus felt his blood pressure rise. He'd only just gotten back on the company's good side.

"Relax, we chatted about you and how much I appreciate him letting me get to know my new family and just how much you do for the community and how the company is lucky to have you… actually I wouldn't be surprised if he gives you a raise. And when that happens just remember my birthday is in November."

Gus let out a sigh of relief before laughing. "I'll keep that in mind. Find out anything?"

"Let's see from your boss I learned that he's actually calling her in to discuss her spotty attendance the last week including being late today, this after an extended vacation that exceeded her vacation days last year at the time when she was suspected to be involved in murders 1-3."

"The mail room showed she's getting some bills sent here and not to her home address. I went redhead and delivered them and she wouldn't even look at them while I was in the room. Something's up there, so I may have divined the info from the bills and Lassie's running that information now."

She typed something before continuing. "From the secretaries, I learned that she's had several odd visitors and phone calls. Buzz is running the numbers, he really likes being included doesn't he."

Gus nodded. "He's always loved being involved in cases, someday he'll make a great detective."

"And I tapped her email account and she's been emailing back and forth with someone all day. Not from her work one but another one. Too bad she doesn't know a certain program would pick up on that."

"Anything good?" Gus saved the document on his computer and started packing up the rest of his paperwork.

"Well, I'm fully occupying the SBPD cause I have two officers tracking two different email accounts. Something has to give."

Gus shut his briefcase. "Let's go get some lunch and then stop by and see what they were able to dig up after your visions."

"Sounds like a plan." Sydney put her laptop back in her bag. "Am I driving or you?"

Eventually Gus would get used to the having the option not to drive. "How about I take my car to the Psych office and you drive from there."

"Ok." Sydney headed out and Gus joined her in the hallway.

"Sandy, I'm gone for the day. You know what to do with my calls."

"Yes sir, Mr. Guster. Bye Sydney!"

"By Sandy! Good luck next week." Gus held in a laugh. She was Shawn's kid all right, able to win over anyone and everyone.

* * *

Shawn groaned as he woke up but even in his half-asleep state, it still wasn't easier to sleep with a bulletproof vest on, he noticed several things. Someone had come down here at least once.

Whoever it was didn't check him for the vest; he guessed it was hidden under his hoodie pretty well. But they had bothered to tie his ankles together pretty tight. He wiggled his toes to check for circulation.

Then he noticed an odd tugging at his arms and finally opened his eyes. Of course in the pitch black he couldn't see what was causing the tugging. But he noticed he couldn't move his arms, that he was almost in an upright position. Maybe he had slept harder than he thought, or maybe they knocked him out and he didn't remember.

Light poured into the basement causing Shawn to wince. Peters walked in, carrying a glass of water. It was then that Shawn realized that he hadn't had anything to drink since the stake out.

"Glad you finally decided to join us." Peters walked over to him. Shawn closed his eyes for a second, the pounding in his head was worse. Maybe they'd used chloroform or something. Didn't his dad say something about it causing a headache?

"I'm sensing something prevented me from joining you sooner." Shawn took a deep breath before opening his eyes. To his surprise, Peters was holding the cup up and allowed Shawn a sense.

"Rest up Psychic, it's going to be a long day. Hope you don't mind hanging out for a bit." Peters turned at the sound of footsteps. "Diana dear! You should be heading to work."

"Oh if I'm a few minutes late it's ok. I didn't want to miss any of the fun."

Peters smiled as he sat down the water. Both advance and Shawn realized that his position didn't allow for him to dodge anything.

"Now, now, we don't to do anything rash." Peters stopped about two feet away. "After all, we have to wait for my package to arrive."

"Why can't we use what we already have?"

"Because those are special, they were brand new and are a perfect addition to our game."

Diana sighed. "You always like to have just the right pieces don't you?"

"I find it makes it more fun."

Shawn was tempted to join in, drag this out, after all the longer they argued the less chance he had of gaining some new bruises or something worse.

Diana sighed. "One go? Real quick before work?"

Peters smiled. "Of course, I can't say no to you."

Diana walked up and Shawn tried to duck away but couldn't from the punch that he knew would eventually cause a black eye. "Can't wait to do that to your little girl for locking him away."

Shawn held in the groan. "Good luck catching her."

Diana slapped him across the face and Shawn felt the sting of her hand. "Oh we will, Jackson outsmarted her for ages. So we'll have fun for awhile while she plays catch up."

She leaned in and gave Peters a kiss. "I've got to go now, try not to have too much fun without me?"

"I'll try." Peters turned and headed back to the door. "But no promises." He kicked Shawn in the knee sending a shooting pain up Shawn's left leg.

Before he knew it, Shawn was left in the dark. For the first time actually concerned about the mess he found himself in.

* * *

Lassiter looked up as Mcnabb sat a sheet of paper on his desk. In the last twenty minutes, he was the third. "Who asked you to do this?"

"Sydney called me with a vision of this information and asked me to look it up."

Now interested, Lassiter grabbed the sheet of paper along with the other two and saw that they were email addresses and Buzz's was some phone numbers.

Where was that address Sydney had called him with? He found the file and run a search turning up not just one but three properties. The thing was the same person owned none. Silent partners?

"How's my favorite Head Detective? And that's saying something cause trust me I've met a lot." Speaking of, Sydney came in Guster right behind her.

"Just looking at your information." Lassiter held up the ever growing stack of papers.

Sydney sat down and looked over to Ohara's desk. "Where's Jules?"

"Lunch break." Lassiter sighed. She hadn't wanted to go but she was going to run herself into the ground if she didn't take a break.

"Have you eaten?"

"I got something out of the vending machine, I'm fine."

"Hey Gus, come help. You're good at puzzles." Guster pulled up a chair and Sydney handed him the papers before opening her laptop. "Let's see if our friend was emailing during lunch."

For a while, the station was quiet. Usually, Lassiter loved the quiet; the comforting hum of the station that meant work was getting done. In fact, he hadn't even noticed that Ohara had returned from lunch until he heard her gasp. He looked up to see her staring at her screen, eyes wide.

Lassiter rushed over and inhaled sharply as he saw what was on the screen. Spencer was chained to the wall, out cold, and it didn't look like they were being gentle.

Beside him, he heard Sydney let out a hiss. He turned to see her staring at the picture, almost as if she was willing it to tell her her father's location. "He's in a basement, possible concussion, but that's all I can get."

Lassiter went back to his desk, picked up the information, and headed to the blank evidence board that had been brought up, must have been another vision of Sydney's. He took the papers and tacked them all to the board before placing it beside the other one. "Well then, let's gather the rest the old fashion way."

* * *

**That's it for now! Thanks for reading guys! You don't know how happy it makes me to get the email saying I have new reviews. :) **


	11. Thump Thump

**Back again! I'll admit that this is a lot of fluff. Be sure to read the note at the end guys! I need your opinion/advice. **

* * *

Lassiter sat down at his desk with a sigh. Spencer had been kidnapped 36 hours ago and they had nothing.

Thump

Thump

He looked around, he'd been hearing that thump off and on for an hour. It was muffled, but it was starting to drive him up the wall.

Thump

Thump

He sighed and tried to focus on putting the pieces together. Something wasn't adding up, and he could tell that he wasn't the only one frustrated.

Looking up, he saw Ohara pacing in front of both evidence boards, occasionally pausing, and then going back to pacing. McNabb was off to the side, glancing at the two new photos their mystery sender sent. The tech guys were trying to connect the pieces and he heard the laptop humming on the edge of his desk and knew Sydney was running her own search.

Thump

Thump

What was that thumping? He got up from his desk listening for it. "Ohara, do you hear that?

"Hear what?" She snapped out of her daze.

Thump

Thump

"That."

She frowned. "What is that?"

"Don't know." He pulled out his gun and heard the familiar click. "But I'm going to find out."

She grabbed hers off her desk. "Let's go."

Thump

Thump

It was coming from downstairs, maybe a prisoner making noise. If that was the case, Lassiter wasn't sure who he'd be going off at first: the prisoner or the guard that was supposed to be watching him.

Thump

Thump

Not the holding cells, he walked passed them as the sound became louder.

Thump

Thump

Whatever it was, it was happening more and more often. Lassiter wandered down the hall he took the right side; Ohara took the left.

Thump

Thump

The sound got louder as they reached the end. He slipped into the gun range and resisted the urge to stop and shoot at one of the targets. For once, there was no one down here.

Coming out into the hallway, he saw Ohara by the last door on her side.

"I found our thump." Ohara nodded into the window.

Lassiter peeked in the window and finally found the source of the noise. He'd forgotten about this room. Sometimes officers came down here to work on hand-to-hand combat. Personally Lassiter was a fan of the guns solving all problems.

Inside, going to town on a punching bag, was Sydney. Her face was a mask of rage and concentration.

Thump

Thump

The thumps were coming from the hard punches and kicks Sydney was throwing the punching bag's way. Already, the bag was swinging widely. But she kept going, throwing punches, the occasional kick, and throwing in some moves he thought only happened in action films.

"Remind me not to mess with her." Ohara murmured.

He nodded before opening the door and shutting it quietly behind them. "What did the bag do to you?"

Sydney whipped around and Lassiter watched as it took a second for her to snap back to the present and recognize them. She walked over to where she had a water bottle. Chugging half of it, she let out a sigh before turning to them. "How long have you guys been there?"

"Long enough to feel grateful that I wasn't that bag."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, it just helps me clear my head."

Lassiter could understand that, quite frankly he'd been itching to bring his gun down here all day. "Did it work?"

"I think it helped." Sydney wiped the sweat off of her face. "Where you heading to the gun range?"

"No I was investigating the mysterious thumping I kept hearing."

She laughed. "I guess you can add another talley to your solved cases." She threw on a sweatshirt, rolling up the sleeves. "I think I'm going to take another look at the evidence board. You coming?"

She picked up her stuff and walked off, leaving Lassiter behind. He turned to follow, but couldn't help but notice that the bag was still swinging. He remembered that he still had his gun out and put it away.

"Coming Ohara?" He turned to see her slipping back into her daze.

She shook herself out of it. "Yeah, let's get up there and see what she finds."

* * *

9 months ago

Thump

Thump

Sydney had been going at this for a while, she knew she should take a break, knew she should even stop, but she couldn't, wouldn't. If she stopped she'd cry and she'd done that enough in the last week.

She heard a chime, which meant someone was at the door. Like she'd done a lot since her mom's funeral, she ignored it happy to stay in the basement, happy to keep moving. Keep moving, don't stop, don't think.

Thump

Thump

What was there to think about? Her desperate need to get out of here, but where would she go? Two things she'd identified herself with, her family and the CIA. Two things that were gone now. Granted, she'd left the CIA by choice. Shoot she'd already made up the fake memories she could share someday. Fake dances, fake graduations, fake dates…

Who was she anymore? Who was Sydney Collins? She was a little less than two months away from turning 18 and she had no idea. Had life made sense just two weeks ago?

The door opened upstairs and Sydney groaned. Only a handful of people had a key and she wasn't in the mood to see any of them.

Thump

Thump

Punching the bag again, she thought about it. She'd traveled the country as a CIA agent but she hadn't really seen the country. Upstairs she had a list, one she'd been making for over 10 years now of things she wanted to do.

"Sydney?" Her commander stood at the top of the stairs.

"I'm a little busy."

Thump

Thump

Sydney alternated to some kicks. The last person she wanted to see, but sadly was the closest thing she had to family. Not like her mom's parents wanted anything to do with her. Not that she cared, rumor had it had something to do with her father.

And then there was that, the one person who could tell her something, anything about her father was gone.

"How long have you been down here?"

"Not keeping track.

Thump

Thump

"I brought you something." Sydney looked over to see her holding out a binder with a letter attached.

"What's that?" Better not be her sweet talking Sydney into an assignment. She was done. Done done done done done.

Thump

Thump

"It's from your mother."

Thu…

"What?" Sydney stopped cold, barely dodging the bag as it came swinging back.

"A few years ago, you mother started leaving letters with me, just in case something like this happened and you initiated the clause. A lot of parents do, since they know the dangers that even our junior unit face, much less junior aged agents doing missions usually for adults."

"Did you read it?"

She shook her head. "I haven't, haven't even looked in the binder."

Sydney took them and headed upstairs, stopping in the kitchen to grab a glass of water and trying not to imagine what had happened in here just days before. She really needed to get out of the house.

"Did you know I've been making a bucket list of sorts?" She offered her commander a glass before moving into the living room.

"What's on it?"

"Some of the usual stuff. See my favorite band in concert without being there for security details, go to a theme park, see above stipulation and while there eat junk food til I get sick, ride all the rides and for once act like I don't have a care in the world. See a play on Broadway, spend as long as I want at the Mall of America, take a cruise, this and that."

Sydney sat on the couch and opened the letter, not stopping the tears that came at the sight of her mother's handwriting. For a while she sat there, it was only three pages but it held the answers she so desperately wanted.

Setting the letter on the coffee table, she opened the file. The opening page was a picture of an office. On the big window were four words, Psych Private Detective Agency.

What was this?

On the next page were old photos, she recognized her mom. She'd seen a couple of pictures from her mom's high school years. But here, she was with a guy. A guy that… wait a second, she'd seen this guy before.

Sydney got up and grabbed the remote flipping through the news clips she'd recorded until she came to the one she stumbled across a few months ago.

She let the clip play and sat back down with the binder. After a couple of pages of old photos, there was an article. Something about a local psychic solving a kidnapping turned runaways turned double murder.

The name stuck out. Shawn Spencer. Grabbing the letter she saw that that was the name her mother said. "What if…"

"What if what Sydney?" She'd forgotten her commander was still there.

"What if, what if wasn't just the training wasn't just the young age that I started?"

"What wasn't?"

Sydney tapped her head. "This, the memory thing, the recall thing, the tonal photographic memory thing."

"What is it then?"

Sydney looked down at the binder. "It's my Dad."

* * *

**Ok, we're getting close to the end of this and I've been thinking about what to do with this series next. Here are some options.**

**1. Another case**

**2. A series of one shots, some may be connected some might not, little bits of fluffy fun.**

**3. Sydney's cross country trip.**

**I've also been tempted to work on all three off and on. Like I have a couple of scenes for the one shot stories and I need ideas for a new case. So let's hear what you guys think! **


	12. Finish the Game

**Sorry about the delay guys. To be honest, I had this written a couple days ago. I just sat on it for a couple days to make sure I was really happy with it. Turns out, this way makes my epilogue fit better. **

**I'll talk more afterwards, I know you want to get reading :) **

* * *

Sydney headed upstairs finishing the bottle of water as she went. She had just re-entered the bullpen when she spotted Gus. "I thought you had picked up a friend's route?"

"Turns out they had already done most of it. Did you run here?"

"Turns out they have a punching bag downstairs, it's a great way to clear you head." Sydney turned to the board. "Now let's try this again."

She looked at the board then ran over to her laptop. It was still running a search but she minimized the window and pulled open her documents.

Finding the file of Psych's old cases, she opened it and found the one she wanted. Pulling up the case involving a stress hotline, she remembered what her Dad had said.

"Dad used to nail it in my head that sometimes you had to turn things upside down in order to find the prize. Come to find out, he was right but don't tell him I said that."

"Turn it upside down…" She headed over to the board. "McNabb!"

"What's up Sydney?" He ran up.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jules and Lassie come back in. "Can you find me another map like that one?" She nodded to the map on the other board.

He took off and Sydney started rearranging to board. They were looking at this all wrong. It wasn't what they had in common it was what they didn't, it wasn't the piece they were missing, it was the extra piece that didn't belong.

"Someone hand me a piece of paper and a pen." Sydney grabbed them when they were handed to her. She finished rearranging them. "Peters is all about games. I'm sensing he just changed the game. This isn't hide and seek…"

"Then what is it?" Lassie was confused and Sydney knew he hated it.

"It's something here doesn't belong. Odd man out, old maid, Lingo…" Sydney started writing down letters. Times like these she realized how her father had kept this charade up for all these years.

"Here's your map Sydney." Sydney ignored McNabb and continued acting like she was in a trance.

She heard rustling of paper and figured someone took it from McNabb. A door opened and then closed and she assumed Chief Vick had come out of her office.

"Please tell me that's what I think it is."

Sydney kept writing down letters. Then she started rearranging them. Once, twice, three times…

"We sure hope so." Lassie let out a sigh.

Sydney stopped writing and looked at the words.

Sydney,

Daddy says good luck on the mission.

LWK

"What does that mean?"

Sydney looked at and then took the map that Gus held out. "He told us where to go."

She took off for the door. "Sydney!"

"Miss Collins!" She stopped cold at Lassie and Chief's tone.

"What? Come on! He could be finishing the job for all we know."

"Where are we going?" Chief Vick raised her eyebrow in a way that Sydney knew meant she better start explaining now.

"It's in the note." Sydney took the paper from Lassie's hand.

"He's just taunting you."

"No, when he taunts me he insults me. This is a clue. Trust me I know Peters and the spirits are all but yelling; we aren't wrong." Sydney couldn't believe they were questioning her about this guy! She'd followed him for months, she knew taunting when she saw it.

"Care to share with the rest of the class Miss Collins?"

Sydney waved the paper. "Good luck on the mission? He usually refers to our chase as a game. So the change of terms means…"

"The Santa Barbara Mission!" Jules' eyes went wide.

Sydney nodded. "He's somewhere there. Bring the black and whites, bring the big boy guns, and let's get moving people." She reached down and grabbed the gun she had strapped to her ankle, checked it, and put it back.

Behind her, she heard rustling and knew people were gearing up to follow her. With a smile, she grabbed her car keys off Lassie's desk, might help to have those. "Gus! You coming?"

* * *

Lassiter followed behind Sydney siren wailing. Ohara sat in the seat next to him leaning forward. He could almost feel her willing the car to move faster.

Ahead, the mission came into view and Lassiter groaned as he saw the parking lot out front was full. "Of course this is one of their more popular days."

Sydney had stopped her car and Lassiter saw her pop her trunk. She removed her sweatshirt and pulled out a bulletproof vest, threw it to Guster. A short argument later, both were wearing one.

Stopping his car beside hers, he popped his trunk and grabbed his extra gun as well as a vest for himself and Ohara. He turned to see Sydney stuffing a gun into her sweatshirt pocket as well as her other ankle. How many guns was she planning on carrying?

Did he want to know?

He saw Sydney talking to Chief Vick and both seemed to be in serious thought. Finally the chief turned to face the officers. "Alright listen up! We will be splitting into teams of five. Lassiter and Ohara you are coming with us." She split the rest of the force. "Use force if necessary and let's get our psychic back."

Sydney had been talking to Guster during that and Lassiter came over to join them. "Where are we going?"

"I'm sensing we need to go this way." She pointed off to the more deserted area of the mission, the part that was undergoing renovations.

She pulled out her gun and held it up and she started moving forward and Lassiter did the same. Behind him, he could hear Guster, Ohara, and Chief Vick falling into line.

He caught sight of something leaning against the wall. He went over and it looked like a vest, a vest that looked like it had seen better days. "What's this?"

Sydney came over and examined it. "It's the vest I gave to Dad."

Lassiter felt his stomach drop at the state of the vest. Something told him they weren't gentle when they took it off. They crept forward until Sydney came to some stares that were blocked with a padlock.

"Hmm, remind me to thank them…" He heard Sydney mutter as she pulled a pen out of her pocket. To Lassiter's surprise, she shot a laser out of the pen and snapped the lock in the half. She kicked the door in and charged in. He heard shots fired and took off.

Inside, he saw Sydney standing protectively over a lump. To his horror, he realized that that lump was Spencer. He had a black eye and Lassiter had a feeling that that wasn't the only bruise on his body. His breathing was shallow, and his face showed how much pain he was in. One of his legs was bending in an unnatural way and it looked like he was lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Oh, you brought help Agent. I thought this was our game." Lassiter turned to see Peters standing by another doorway. Beside him, he heard the Chief, Guster and Ohara rush in. Ohara let out a gasp as she saw Shawn and rushed over to him, Guster close behind.

"We found Pineapple, will need medical assistance. Suspect is in sight and we are preparing to apprehend." Chief Vick called it in.

"The game is over Peters." Sydney stepped away from Spencer and towards him. She pulled out her gun. "But just how is it going to end."

She nodded towards where he stood beside Chief Vick. "If they have their way, we'll cart you back to the station and book you. Then I'll lead you back to Alexandria where you'll rot in the cell for the rest of your life."

"But that's not what you want." Peters sneered.

"You know the biggest problem with the junior agents?" Lassiter watched her take a step forward. "They like to think that we aren't as in control as an adult."

She took a shot sending the bullet right through Peter's shoulder. Peter's other hand went to it and he let out a hiss of pain. "I don't know if I've ever been more in control than I am right now."

Another shot, this time to the foot sending Peters to the ground. "Sydney." Lassiter didn't like where this was going.

"I guess it's which me is going to be in control. If you're lucky, it will be the me that you helped create."

"I helped?"

"He helped?" Ohara looked away from Spencer for a moment, her eyes full of confusion.

"Yeah, the day you took my mother away. The one that came to Santa Barbara to find her father and figure out who she was without the CIA. The Sydney that hasn't killed anyone for awhile now, the one who's barely shot a gun in a while."

She fingered the gun, Lassiter had to admit, it was a nice one. "It's like riding a bike, you don't lose those skills.

"And if he isn't lucky?" Guster asked, turning his attention from Shawn. Lassiter looked over to see him turning a little green at all the blood in the room.

"It will be the Sydney from before last September. The one who's trigger finger has been feeling a little twitchy all week. Granted, those shots I took made me feel better.

Out of nowhere, she shot behind her barely missing Lassiter's head. He heard a squeak behind him and turned to see Diana Blankenship frozen in place, the bullet in the wall less than an inch from her head.

"You're going to let them cuff you now, or I'll turn around to make the next shot." Sydney didn't take her eyes off of Peters.

Lassiter turned and pulled out his cuffs and enjoyed the familiar clicking as he slapped the cuffs on her wrists. "You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Shawn Spencer."

"And the murders of Cecilia Roberts, Jason Klein, and Erin Steelwood." Sydney still wasn't taking her eyes off of Peters. In fact another shot went off and Lassiter saw blood come pouring out of his kneecap.

They officially reached Guster's tolerance level, which had been growing lately. He quickly darted out of the room.

"Hold down the fort out there buddy." Spencer's comment was quiet and he coughed afterwards. "Sydney don't, he's not worth it."

She didn't flinch, didn't lower her gun, didn't take her eyes off of Peters. "Do you know what you did to me? Did to those families? All for the sake of your sick little game."

"Go ahead, finish the game." Peters snapped.

Sydney took a couple steps forward until she was inches away from Peters. Lassiter watched as he started shaking and he took a step forward only to feel a hand holding him back.

He turned to see Chief Vick holding him back. "This is her battle, let her finish it."

He heard a clank and saw Sydney pull a pair of handcuffs out from her hoodie pocket. "Ending it that way wouldn't let you suffer enough. As much as I want to shoot you right between the eyes right now, you don't deserve it. You deserve to rot in a cell with four padded walls with videos."

She bent down beside him. "Not just any videos mind you, birthdays, weddings, graduations, summer picnics, all the little moments that made up the lives of the people who's live you took. The lives that you turned upside down."

"Though I guess I should thank you." She started to walk away before turning back to Lassiter. "Get him out of here Lassie."

He nodded. "With pleasure kid."

"Thank me for what?"

"Thank to you, I found my Dad. For a girl whose life was nothing but lies, who barely had any family, I've found a new one and started to finally figure out me."

She turned away from him and knelt by her father.

Chief radioed the all clear and two sets of paramedics came rushing in. Lassiter followed Peter's stretcher until he found someone else to assign to it.

Satisfied that the situation was under control, he went back to find Spencer.

* * *

**The bad news? There's just one chapter and then the epilogue left on this case.**

**The good news? I've got a couple of ideas for cases! The question is, which do I do first. I guess that's fore me to figure out and you to enjoy when I do. **

**I'm still thinking about doing the one shot stories along side the cases, we'll see how that works. **

**See ya next time! :) **


	13. AMA

**Last real chapter of this one. There is an epilogue coming that I've been waiting to write for awhile now. :)**

**Before I give you the next bit, special shout out to FantomFaire for reminding me about a door I hadn't shut all the way. **

* * *

Beep

Beep

Beep

Shawn groaned and went to hit the snooze on his alarm clock and realized he couldn't move his arm. Not only that, but he realized that the beeping wasn't coming from his alarm clock.

"I think he's waking up." Shawn heard Sydney's voice but she sounded far away.

"Shawn?" Jules voice came through.

Why was his mouth so dry? Where was he? Why couldn't he move anything? What was going on? Where's Peters?

He decided to start by opening his eye and after some effort he opened them, but the left one felt sore. "Where…"

The words didn't want to come, that was a first.

Luckily someone handed him a cup of water and he took a sip. Much better. "Where am I?"

"Saint Thomas of the Apostles." Gus' answer made him groan. He hated hospitals, so much.

"When can I leave?"

Sydney laughed. "You are not leaving until the doc gives you the ok."

"I can sign out."

"No you can't." Sydney patted the pocket of her sweatshirt. "You have to get past me to do that and I don't see that happening."

Shawn started to protest when the doctor walked in with his dad. Both smiled when they saw him up and his father rushed to his side.

"Glad to see you up Mr. Spencer, I'm Dr. Mark Wallace."

"Shawn, he's Mr. Spencer." Shawn nodded to his dad.

Dr. Wallace nodded. "Alright Shawn, you had a rough couple of days haven't you."

"How bad is it Doc?"

"You've been unconscious for three days, the first day we had you in a medically induced coma. We were worried about trauma to your head; you got thrown around a bit. Your left leg's going to be in a cast for a while, that was a nasty break. Add a couple of broken ribs a cut on your side that required 27 stitches, and a ton of other cuts and bruises and I think we've covered most of the damage."

"So no moving for a while."

He laughed. "Probably a wise choice."

Shawn sighed. "Do prisoners get to make requests for food?"

Everyone laughed including the doctor. "We'll start with something light to make sure you can keep it down."

Shawn sighed; it was going to be a long couple of weeks.

* * *

A couple nights later, Shawn woke in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Peters got impatient and went to finish the job and Shawn couldn't move to stop him.

"Dad, it's ok." He felt Sydney's hand on his shoulder.

Shawn sat up and Sydney handed him the cup of water. "It was so real… I couldn't… he was…"

"They'll pass." Sydney took the cup and sat it by his bedside. "Besides, he's never going to get anywhere near you again. This is going to be one cross country trip I enjoy making."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to escort him back to Alexandria. Then I'm going to throw away the key to his cell." Sydney leaned back in her chair. "Then…"

"Then what?"

Sydney pulled out a piece of paper. Shawn could see that it was old; the folds were worn in places. "I have this to finish. There's a few I'm sure you'd be willing to help me with."

"Finish what?" Shawn took the paper that she handed him and saw that the front was completely covered with a list. About half were crossed off.

"My bucket list. I spent ten years making a list of things I'd do once I got out of the CIA. I guess I knew all along I wouldn't be there for forever."

Shawn read over the ones that were left.

"Go to a theme park? You've never been to one?"

"I have, but not for fun. The plan is to go for fun, eat junk food til I'm sick, ride all the rides, and act like I don't have a care in the world."

"I think we can manage that." Shawn handed the list back to Sydney and leaned back feeling the drugs kicking in again. "Mind if I get a little sleep first?"

* * *

Sydney stopped in the police station, enjoying some time away from the hospital. Gramps was staying with him for the day so Sydney could come and give her statement, get some sleep in a real bed, eat some non-hospital food.

"Miss Collins, how's your father?" Chief Vick stepped out of her office.

"He's already tried to sign out AMA, twice."

"We could cuff him to his bed." Sydney turned to see Lassie smirking at his desk.

"I'm almost ready to take you up on this suggestion."

"Detective Lassiter, this package just arrived at Blankenship's house from Washington." Sydney turned to see Buzz carrying a box.

"From Washington?" Sydney took the package and opened it, not what the knife was for but she was flexible. When she saw the contents of the box she dropped it and took a step back.

"What is it Sydney?" Jules got up from her desk and looked in the box. "It's a bunch of knives."

"Those are just any knives, those are the ones that killed my mother." Sydney took another step away and stepped behind Lassiter, putting as much distance as possible from them.

"How do you know these are the same knives?" Chief Vick peered into the box.

"The handles." Sydney found herself a pair of gloves and put them on before picking up a knife. Sure enough, there was a number 12 on the "When he said he wanted to finish the job…"

Jules shut the box as Sydney dropped the knife. "He really meant it."

* * *

"Why not?" Shawn groaned as Sydney refused yet again to let him sign out. Did the kid ever sleep? Two weeks was enough! He needed out of this hospital and fast.

"The doctor doesn't think you're ready."

"They just say that to get more money." Shawn slid to the side of the bed.

"I have a gun and know how to use it Dad." Sydney patted her sweatshirt pocket. Come to think about it, it was the middle of the summer, why was she wearing a sweatshirt?

Then it hit him what was in the pocket. With a sigh, he settled back into bed.

"Hey Shawn." Gus came in, pineapple smoothies in hand. He took a seat on the opposite side of the bed. "Behaving yourself?"

"He tried to sign out AMA again."

"Shawn, the doctor wants to keep you for at least another week."

Shawn groaned. "But Gus, I'm so bored! I've caught up on all of my shows, watched more movies than I care to admit, been beaten in monopoly by Sydney numerous times…" He turned to Sydney. "Rematch you, me, later." Back to Gus. "I'm bored, so bored, I'd give anything for even an adultery case right now."

"Not til the doctor clears you." Gus glared at him before taking a sip of his smoothie.

"And bring it on Dad." Sydney had a smirk on her face.

"What's this I hear about you trying to leave?" Shawn turned to see Jules standing in the doorway, the look on her face.

"You didn't tell her." Shawn turned to see who shrugged innocently.

"Shawn, you are not in any condition to be signing yourself out AMA." Jules sat on the corner of his bed. "We are getting married in six weeks and I need you in tip-top shape. So that means you stay in that bed until the doctor says otherwise."

She pulled a folder out of her bag. "But speaking of our wedding…"

Shawn took of his smoothie and groaned at the site of all the wedding stuff she had in that folder. "How about we kick them out and practice for that night…"

"Really? Your kid is in the room and I don't need to be hearing that." Sydney made a face.

Everyone laughed before Jules spoke up. "There'll be plenty of time for that, but we need to work some of these out."

Shawn took the folder and opened it, bracing himself for a long afternoon.

* * *

**Got a couple of ideas for where to go next! Thanks for your suggestions! :) **


	14. Who is Sydney Collins?

**Sorry for the delay guys! I had this written but my computer had to make an unexpected trip to the CPU doctor. But its all better now! :)**

**More afterwards, but for now I have to say that I don't own West Wing or any of its characters. **

* * *

Two Weeks Later- Washington DC

Sydney locked the door of her rental car and stepped into the familiar white building. All around her, people were buzzing around taking care of whatever had come up.

"Hey Sydney, long time no see!" Sydney turned to see a man coming up the stairs. He came over and gave her a hug.

"Hey Charlie! I've got to show you a picture! I found your twin." Sydney pulled out her phone and flipped to a good picture. "Crazy isn't it."

Charlie took the phone. "That's a good looking man."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "He looks just like you. How are Zoey and the kids?"

"Great." It was Charlie's turn to pull out his phone and show her some pictures. They started walking down the hall together.

"Sydney! When did you get into town?" A lady joined them.

"A few days ago, had some unfinished business I needed to take care of. How are Danny and the kids?"

"Growing up too fast, that's for sure."

"CJ, I have the statement about the crisis in… Sydney!" A man who appeared to be in his late 30s joined them an older gentlemen close behind.

"Hey Will. Hey Toby." Sydney smiled. "Are we all going to the same place?"

"Hey Kid." Toby gave her a rare smile.

"Does he know you're here?" CJ fell back beside Will and Toby as they started discussion the statement on the piece of paper.

"Nah, surprises are way more fun."

"Hey Charlie does Josh have a second? I need to talk to him about… Sydney is that you?" Granted, Sam was old enough to be her father but that didn't stop Sydney from thinking he was cute.

"Hey Sam." Sydney turned into the outer office.

"Hey Beth, he free?" Sam nodded to the door.

"For who?"

Sydney looked at the quickly filling room and shrugged. "Technically I'm not here."

"Sydney?" Beth lowered her glasses.

"Hey Beth, how are you?"

Beth rushed out of her chair and Sydney braced herself for the hug that was coming. "Does he know you're here?"

"Nope. Let them go in first, I mean they are helping to run the country." Sydney took a seat beside Beth's desk as the rest of the room filed in.

Beth went back to what she was doing and for a while Sydney loved the silence. The door to the back walk way opened and a six year old came bursting through the room. "Beth! Beth! Is Daddy free?"

"Hey Gracie." Sydney smiled at the six year old. She was getting so big! It had been ages since Sydney had seen her.

"Sydney!" Gracie flung herself into Sydney's lap. "I lost a tooth today!" She grinned and Sydney could see the missing tooth.

"That's awesome!" Sydney felt a smile break out on her face as Gracie started talking a mile a minute. A few seconds later, her security agent can rushing into the room and Sydney could see the relief in his eyes when he saw the little girl.

"She lost a tooth, where else would she go?" Sydney shrugged turning back to Gracie's story about the zoo.

A few minutes later, the group poured out of the office. Of course Gracie had to share the news with everyone. Beth nodded and Sydney picked up Gracie. "Ready to go tell Daddy."

Beth smiled. "Sir, do you have a second for Gracie?"

A voice came from the office. "I always have time for my little princess."

Sydney sat Gracie down. "Go in there and tell him, but don't tell him I'm here."

She looked confused for a second before nodding and taking off into the office. Inside, she could hear Gracie talking a mile a minute.

Finally she nodded to Beth and walked into the office. "Is the Tooth Fairy cleared for the Residence Mr. President?"

The President looked up from Gracie, confusion on his face until he saw Sydney. "When did you get here?"

"A few days ago, had to take care of some business and knew if I didn't stop by I'd be ordered to bring myself here." Sydney laughed as she took a seat on the couch."

"Josh have you seen… There you are Gracie!" Sydney turned to see Donna walking in. "Sydney! When did you get here?"

"Here, here about 20 minutes. East coast, a few days ago."

"Can you stay for dinner?"

Sydney nodded. "I'd love to."

Donna led Gracie out of Oval Office and Sydney watched as Josh sat on the couch across from her. "So how's Santa Barbara, missing DC yet?"

"Yes Josh, I miss your constant teasing. My days aren't quite as fulfilled." Sydney let her voice drip with sarcasm as she switched into Italian to match him.

"Glad to hear it kid, see your Italian isn't getting rusty."

"Please, just cause I dropped off the CIA map doesn't mean I'm going to forget it. After all that language saved both our butts."

Josh laughed. "So how is Santa Barbara? You didn't come see me last time you were here."

Sydney sighed. "Last time I just wanted out of here, to pretend I hadn't just sold my childhood home. But I couldn't stay there."

"Did you drive by?"

Sydney remembered the kids playing in the lawn. "Yeah, it looks like the new family is settling in. Oh did I tell you, my dad's best friend is Charlie's twin!"

"Really?" Sydney showed him the phone. "That's crazy."

"Isn't it? I haven't told Gus, then I'd have to explain how I was on a first name basis with the White House chief of staff."

"Wait, they don't know?" Josh leaned forward, the look coming on his face.

"They do now, I guess I wanted a chance to be normal, to not be me for once." Sydney leaned back and put her feet up. "It's been great, you know having a Dad. He's really just a big kid himself and a family wow it feels good to have one that big."

"Glad to know we're chopped liver."

Sydney threw a throw pillow at him. "You know what I meant."

"So what's this I hear about a psychic detective agency?"

Sydney laughed and launched into the story and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the Oval Office. Finally, Josh headed for the door to head for the residence. "You coming?"

She took one last look around the office. "Yeah."

"You miss it don't you." Josh held the door for her and she walked into the back walkway.

"Sure at times. But I wouldn't go back for anything." Sydney fell in step with Josh.

"Even to get your mom back?"

Sydney sighed. "Sure I miss her like crazy but one thing I've learned, you can't go back. Can't go back to the CIA after you tasted what normal life is like, that your childhood home is a place that only exists inside your head, and that I really like sleeping in my own bed almost every night."

Josh laughed as he opened the door to the Residence. "I have one more question for you."

Gracie ran up to them and Sydney picked her up. "What?"

"So who is Sydney Collins?" He took his kid from her.

Sydney led the way into the dining room where the dining set was setting up. "That's a fun question that I'm still learning the answer to."

* * *

**I knew the epilogue was a fun bit with her and Josh. And yes, there is a story there that someday I may just have to write. I almost brought Josh to SB but could justify Sydney in DC more. **

**That's it for this one! Thanks so much for reading guys! I really appreciate it. I've started working on the next case story but it's not jelling quite yet so it may be a few days before I start posting it. Also keep an eye out for Bucket List, a series of one shots of Sydney checking off stuff on her bucket list. **

**Once again thanks so much for reading and til next time... :) **


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